The '#BlockTheBlue' campaign emerged in early 2023 as a grassroots movement on Twitter (now X) following Elon Musk's decision to monetize the platform's verification system. Users began using the hashtag to encourage others to block accounts that paid for 'Twitter Blue' subscriptions, arguing that the checkmark no longer represented authenticity but rather a 'pay-to-win' boost for visibility. The movement quickly evolved into various meme formats, often featuring the blue checkmark icon as a symbol of annoyance or corporate compliance. These memes are used to mock the perceived loss of prestige associated with the badge and to protest the changes in social media hierarchy and algorithmic priority.